Early Airships

Historic images of military airships and balloons from the early 1900s, depicting various test flights and landing incidents with onlookers present.

The Gamma I Airship at Aldershot - an early British Army airship, tested prior to World War One Date: circa 1913

The engine tests on the military airship 1-Bis before takeoff, Lake Bracciano, 1909, Italy, photo by L Vetch, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XXXVI, No 35, August 29, 1909.

The military airship P3 landing in Crescenzago following an engine failure, Milan, Italy, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XXXVIII, No 35, August 27, 1911.

S.A. Andrées balloon at departure from Spetsbergen on July 11, 1897. Original belongs to Engineer James Sandberg, Stockholm.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The Lebaudy airship landing with a large group of handlers and onlookers watching.

The Gamma I Airship at Aldershot - an early British Army airship, tested prior to World War One Date: circa 1913

ALBERTO SANTOS DUMONT (1873-1932). Brazilian aviator and engineer. 'FIRST ESSAYS OF SANTOS DUMONT IN THE BAGATELLE TRAINING FIELD' (year 1906).

Clement-Bayard dirigible France

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The Beta airship on the ground with handlers and spectators.

Alberto Santos Dumont (1873-1932) in the nacelle of the dirigible balloon, France, photograph by V Gribayedoff, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XXVII, No 45, November 11, 1900.

Aircraft and Balloons Used by Some of the Air Pioneers Who Were Contemporary With Samuel Franklin Cody. An unidentified airship on the ground. Note the gunners on the front of the airship and on top of it.

The arrival in Campalto of the airship P2 from Vigna di Valle, 1910, Italy, photo by A Tivoli, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XXXVII, No 41, October 9, 1910.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The Lebaudy airship in flight.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The Army Airship Baby with a group of army handlers around the gondola.

Balloon newer type.

Clement-Bayard dirigible France

The Zeppelin LZ-4 airship shortly before the Echterdingen disaster, near Stuttgart, August 5, Germany, photo from L'Illustration, No 3416, August 15, 1908.

Launch of "N3," Japan, at Kasumigaura

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The army airship Gamma II just after it crashed.

Wellman airship "America" viewed from the RMS TRENT, shown dragging anchor in water

Friedrichshafen, Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH, Germany, LZ 126 beim Einbringen in der Halle, The zeppelin in the hangar, The zeppelin is manoeuvred into the hangar. Part of a folder with twenty product photographs of the Zeppelin airship LZ 126., photograph, photo, photos, height 220 mm, width 160 mm, height 320 mm, width 240 mm, photographer, 1924 - 1924, cardboard, photographic paper, photo paper, gelatin silver print, gelatin silver print development, Publication (Event), Publication, German, publisher

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The gondola of the army airship Baby in flight. The image is rather grainy.

Italian military observation balloon, Tripoli, Libya, Italian-Turkish war, photograph by Aldo Molinari, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XXXVIII, No 52, December 24, 1911.

Airship "Viktoria Luise" and hangar at Oos, Germany, Sept. 11, 1914

Zeppelin in Flight, Aviation

Photograph of the first airship (R34) to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Dated 20th Century

American dirigible, "blimp" type

Clement-Bayard Dirigible which crossed the Channel

Dirigible. 1910-20.

407E R33 & R34 - British Airship. May 03, 1948. (Photo by Central News).

Ruthenberg airship, 1932. Creator: Unknown.

Blimp attached to a boat. Fédèle Azari (Italian, 1895 - 1930)

Airship Crashes On Roof: The Bournemouth Caught by the tail on the roof of the Gymnasium. Hanging beneath the envelope is the Shattered Gondola from which Lord Ventry and his companions crawled to safety across the roof. Lord Ventry, who was largely responsible for the building of the airship, was making his first flight in the Bournemouth.The Airship Bournemouth crashed on its second flight at the the RAF Station, Cardington, Bedfordshire, last night, August 16.The Gondola was wrecked but none of the crew of four was injured. August 17, 1951. (Photo by Associated Press Photo).

Engraving depicting Gaston and Albert Tissandier's air-ship 'Prom Der Stein der Weisen' in Leipzig. Dated 19th Century

Aircraft and Balloons Used by Some of the Air Pioneers Who Were Contemporary With Samuel Franklin Cody. A medium close up of an observation balloon basket in flight. One soldier is stood in the basket whilst another is sat on the on the ring holding the rigging of the balloon.

The Third Gordon Bennett Balloon Race, 1908 photograph Rising balloon with a man in the basket. In the foreground heads of spectators. Schmargendorf baryta paper gelatin silver print balloon (aviation). (flying a) gas balloon. balloon flight (sport) Schmargendorf

Close view of Macon Dirigible Cabin - control room housing while moored at Moffett Field (1935)

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War Army airship Beta in flight a small group of women and children sat on or leaning against a small wooden fence are watching.

Navy USS Macon Mooring at south circle U.S. Naval Airstation Sunnyvale, Mt. View CA

Norge N-1 airship, 1923, (1932). Creator: Unknown.

Piccards Off For Stratosphere -- Close to 250 men were in the ground crew that prepared the stratosphere balloon of Prof. and Mrs. Jean Piccard at Detroit, Mich., for their long flight into the upper air. The picture shows the crew about to release the balloon early on the morning of Oct 23, at the ford airport, near Detroit. The balloon soared eastward and landed near Cadiz, Ohio. Neither the Piccards nor their instruments were injured. October 23, 1934. (Photo by Associated Press Photo).

The Italian military airship N 1 in flight over Lake Bracciano, near Vigna di Valle, October 12, 1908, Italy, photograph by Dante Paolocci (1856-1926), from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XXXV, No 42, October 18, 1908.

The Airship Italia Of Nobile Expedition, At King's Bay, 1928.

Low angle view of a submarine hanging over water, Bathyscaphe Trieste

Taking Observations from a military dirigible balloon, circa 1909

Zeppelin III at Luneville, Aviation

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The naval airship Parseval being pulled into one of the airship sheds by a group of army and navy handlers. A BE 2 (number 235) is stood in the foreground with another unidentified biplane behind that.

Blimp coming out of hanger; Fédèle Azari (Italian, 1895 - 1930); Milan, Italy; 1914 - 1929; Gelatin silver print; 11.6 x 16.4 cm (4 9,16 x 6 7,16 in.)

The America Zeppelin Z.R. III leaves his hangar, Anonymous, 1924 photograph The America Zeppelin Z.R. III leaves its hangar. photographic support gelatin silver print Consistency

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The Lebaudy airship being manoeuvred on the ground by a large party of handlers. Note the Union Jack hanging from the airship.

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War DERA FARNBOROUGH (ROYAL AIRCRAFT ESTABLISHMENT). The naval airship Parseval outside the airship sheds. Not the large wind brake attached to the shed in the background.

Graf Zeppelin At Barcelona -- The Graf Zeppelin on its arrival at Barcelona on its return from America. The Zeppelin commander took to President Macia the congratulation of the German Government on the concession of Autonomy to Catalonia. October 10, 1932. ;Graf Zeppelin At Barcelona -- The Graf Zeppelin on its arrival at Barcelona on its return from America. The Zeppelin commander took to President Macia the congratulation of the German Government on the concession of Autonomy to Catalonia.

Gas acceleration of a foil balloon at Folwarki Ploska.

Balloon, Bryn. .

Swedish engineer and Arctic explorer Salomon Andree departs with Fraenkel and Strindberg in the hot air balloon "Eagle" from Spitsbergen to fly over the North Pole, woodcut, 1888, historic engraving

Nose section being attached to nearly completed framework. Original caption: Nose section being attached to USS Akron..Dirigible Disasters

LZ-4 Floats Over Lake Constance

British airship "PARSEVAL" & army aeroplanes

Blimp, Zeppelin No. 3, in flight

Hot air balloon with advertising for 'E. Brandsma' above a fairground. Part of family album including photos of Wijnhandel Kraaij & Co. Bordeaux-Amsterdam.

Anefo photo collection. Balloon steering at East and West. September 28, 1947

The Le Geant air balloon near Nymburk, accident on October 19, 1863, a train along the railway on the right, illustration from L'Illustration, Journal Universel, No 1080, Volume XLI, November 7, 1863.

Aircraft and Balloons Used by Some of the Air Pioneers Who Were Contemporary With Samuel Franklin Cody. The observation balloon nearly full. The large number of horses required to pull all the equipment required to launch the balloon can be clearly seen.

The Hindenburg hits the ground in flames in Lakehurst, N.J. on May 6, 1937.

Henry Kapferer flying the Ville de Paris airship, France, photograph by Delagrange from L'Illustration, No 3369, September 21, 1907.

Airships of the United States, Bicycles in Washington (state), Vancouver, Washington, 1906, Washington (state), Wash., First Airship

The German Zeppelin airship LZ IV moves out from the rotating floating assembly hangar on Lake Constance. circa 1910s

Nadars air balloon at Palace of Industry, Paleis voor Volksvlijt, Amsterdam, September 14, 1865, The Netherlands

U. S. Army Blimp Landing at Washington Monument, Washington DC, USA, Harris & Ewing, 1932

Balloon ascension by Geo. E. Greenleaf of 49 Union Street, Boston, Mass., July 4th, 1890, at 5 P.M., Lawrence, Mass. , Balloons Aircraft, Greenleaf, Geo. E. George E.

Otto LILIENTHAL in flight on hill near Ruthenow/Neustadt, Germany Date: 1894

06/09/1906. Paris. Grand Prix of the Aéreo-club of France. Messrs. Barbotte and Morún in the boat of the "Sphinx" that has won this year the prize Falling on the beach of Sables-D'Olonne, 375 kilometers from the starting point.

British kite balloon

Impression of the German Zeppelin L-19 with its crew perched on top seeking help from the crew of the fishing trawler, "King Stephen" who refused to give it and left Date: 12 February 1916

Cartoon depicting the 'Nassau' balloon being used to hold up Westminster Bridge, London. Dated 19th Century

HM Airship R100, 1930 (1933). Artist: Unknown

"Great Republican Harrison and Morton campaign ball, 1888", Group of Men, including Possibly D.E. Brockett, Designer and Builder, around a Gigantic Campaign Ball that was Rolled for Benjamin Harrison during the Presidential Election Campaign of 1888. The

PARSEVAL III' military airship

Kite invented by Tarbe, Paris, France, photograph by Gribayedoff, from L'Illustrazione Italiana, Year XXX, No 22, May 31, 1903.

The 'Clement-Bayard' flies from Paris to London. Date: 1909

Giffard's balloon exhibited at the Paris World's Fair, 1878, (1932). Creator: Unknown.

M. GAMBETTA LEAVING PARIS FOR THE PROVINCES IN A BALLOON, OCT. 8, 1870, FRANCE

Balloon, lot to climb.

Anefo photo collection. Balloon steering at East and West. September 28, 1947

Vickers Naval Airship, No. 1 in Cavendish dock Barrow Date: C. 1910

The Third Gordon Bennett Balloon Race, 1908 photograph Three half -blown balloons are still on the ground with the public around it. A balloon is already floating above the ground. In the background buildings. Schmargendorf baryta paper gelatin silver print balloon flight (sport). (flying a) gas balloon. balloon (aviation) Schmargendorf

The growth of the submarine from 1901 to 1912. In chronological order, they are: 1901-2 Holland Class, 1903-5 A Class, 1904-6 B Class, 1906-9 C Class, 1911 D Class and 1912 E Class. The latter is in silhouette, as the details 'cannot be published'. Date: 1912

Dirigible of Comte de la Vaulx Date: circa 1909

Aviation in Britain Before the First World War The army airship Gamma in flight over Queens Avenue, Aldershot. A car is driving down the road, several pedestrians are stood watching the airship.

Rating of Nadars Hot air balloon on site outside the Utrecht Barrier, Amsterdam, September 14, 1865.Filling The Air Balloon Le Géant Van Nadar on September 14, 1865 on a Site Outside The Utrecht Barrier

Historic photograph, airship, around 1920

Goodyear blimp at Washington Air Post circa April 13, 1938.

An artists impression of a V-2 rocket landing in a London street. In reality the rocket would not have been seen, as it's speed at arrival was up to four times the speed of sound. From September 1944 to March 1945 over 1300 V-2 rockets were fired at London. Date: 1944 - 1945

Taking off Jean Piccard for an experiment with high balloons in Rochester. .

Photograph of a US Navy metal coated Zeppelin 422597 ZMC-2 at Lakehurst. Dated 1935

Anefo photo collection. Vossehacht for hot air balloons (Haagsche Balloonclub). 11 May 1961

Black and white photograph of the dirigible Hindenburg exploding in the USA on 6 May 1937.

05/20/1911. Departure of the Garros aviator from Issy-Les-Moulineaux.

Anefo photo collection. Weather balloon went into the air for Queen Juliana when visiting the Bilt. Queen in conversation with Drs. C. M. Wierda. May 9, 1963. De Bilt

Captive aerostat built for the Chinese government January 15, 1887. Old illustration from La Nature 1887

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